"Silver Nugget" Teardrop Trailer

[High Desert]

I don't know of anyone that carries it locally but haven't looked too hard yet. Maybe one of the boat shops? There is the West Marine store on Mill St, they carry a similar epoxy product I've heard but don't know first hand. Some other members here have used their stuff from what I've read.

Will watch for your updates. Gotta live vicariously through everyone elses builds right now

[synaps3]

As far as I know, you can only obtain CPES online. http://www.rotdoctor.com/products/cpes.html

Boat shops carry epoxy, which is slightly different but will also work perfectly fine.

CPES penetrates the grain and becomes part of the wood, whereas epoxy sits on the surface layer and makes a waterproof shell. Both methods will work, so if you need it NOW, you can always go buy from a marine shop.

[paperdoor]

If your going to buy epoxy, stay away from Marine Shops!!!
Very expensive !
Here is a link to AeroMarine products, http://www.jgreer.com/
Half the price and the product works great-

[doug hodder]

Johnny....the thing is with epoxies is that they typically are sold as a "system". You get the basic resin, then there are different catalysts and additives so that you can use it for a variety of applications. I'm no expert on CPES, but I believe it's a sealer only. An epoxy system will allow you to mix it to do construction glue up, fairing (like bondo), fillets, clear coating, and it can be drilled and tapped if needed. Different systems are sold in different quantities. Raka sells a 3 gallon kit I believe. I don't know for sure, as I don't use it, I prefer the West System products, and I've never used a full gallon on a woody tear, with many layers of product before clear coating. It can be ordered directly through Gougeon Bros. in Mi. I found it at West Marine and they had it at 30% off ONCE....bought up 3 gallons of it. CPES is CPES....epoxy is a whole lot more...just my opinion. Good luck with your build. Doug

[down under tech]

Hi Doug, Dave, Shaun & Paperdoor: The only place I could find any Epoxy today was at our local West Marine in Reno. I wanted CPES, but it is not available here. I found it all over online. There is that lag time in shipping. I bought the 105 resin, (qt) & 205 hardener. I want to seal the lower portion of the walls before I attach them to the floor. This way it will be somewhat water sealed so it does not wick up water from the bottom. I will seal the rest of the walls after I get the wall stiffing studs in place. I will probably sell this "First" TD after I get it finished, but I may have it for a year or so while I build a 5x10 or 6x12 "Silver Boulder" Ha Ha !!! This one is a learning curve so the second one will be easier to build and be better built. I can work out the problems on this one so I don't make the same ones on the BIG one. I want to thank you all for your help on Epoxy 101.

Paperdoor: You are doing an excellent job on your TD. I will be watching YOU, Mister. (LOL) I checked out the website you sent me. I went there and the prices are right. Thanks

I thought about adding a 2 foot bump up in the center of the roof so I can stand up to put my pants on or take them off for that matter. It should be easy to do. I can mount the Fantastic fan there, too. Just more time and cash.

Thanks much,

[doug hodder]

Just thought I'd ask...you did get the metering pumps didn't you? If not...do get them..makes it foolproof, I've never had a batch not work using them. For a lot of great epoxy use tips, read the West System manual that is in the stickies or just google it. The first coat will soak in...the next ones do the building. I usually use any left over epoxy from gluing to coat out the bottom edges of the ply, also on the window cut outs. Just an idea. Doug

[Ageless]

Absolutely Doug! Seal any and all edges! Wood loves moisture; it's natural for it to seek out moisture.

[down under tech]

Thanks Ageless: I sealed the floor with marine spar varnish. I used it on a stake bed trailer I built last year for the floor & wood sides. It still looks great. I wanted to use even better stuff on the tear. See Ya

[down under tech]

Hi People: I will get the pumps for the West Systems. I didn't get them yesterday because they were too big for my can sizes. I was worried about storing them between uses.

Doug: I will check out the post on using the epoxy before I use the stuff. Is this the same stuff that is used in fiberglass repair with the glass mats on cars or building fenders?

Thanks, & everyone have an enjoyable week-end !!!

[down under tech]

Hello group: On Friday last week I got the epoxy to coat the side walls of the TD. It was the first time I used the West Systems epoxy. I didn't get the pumps because I thought they were to big for the small cans I bought. Thanks to Super Doug, He advised me to go back & get the pumps (had shorter tubes to use with the cans I got) to make an accurate mix of part 1 & part 2. I am glad he made me spend the extra $ so it would turn out the way it was suppose to. I laid out one coat on one side of each of the sides last evening. Today I went to Lowes and I picked up a DeWalt random orbit sander. I also got a pack of fifty pieces of 220 grit sandpaper for it. After the epoxy set up for 24 hours, I sanded them to smooth them today and to get some tooth for the second coat. I have added more pics to my album tonight. Tomorrow I will do first coat on the flip side of the sides. I will be relieved to get the sides attached to the floor. I still need to paint the HF frame silver. That is when it gets warm enough to paint outside. I have a automotive paint gun for this.
Let me know if I left out anything in this update !!! LOL
Thanks,

[High Desert]

here ya go Johnny...

West systems epoxy


Second coat after 2 hours


you're making progress!

[down under tech]

I was able to add one pic last week, but I can't remember how to do it now. I will have to experiment later.
Look in the lower pic that Shaun help me with bu adding them to my post, (top right of the pic) you can see one of my chihuahuas, (Peaches) She looks like she is pozest. Not sure of the spelling on that one. She will chew up any thing you leave setting around. Until next time, have a good one.

I was able to load these pics (3-13-10) of the new tools I got over the last couple of weeks. They will be used a bunch of times in the future segments of the build.

[down under tech]

Hey Ya All: Sounds like I'm from Las Vegas, you know "down south". Well any-who, I have been getting some things done in the last week or so. I got the sides covered with two coats of West Systems Epoxy, inside and out. P.S. Ignore the faded paint on the hood of the car the side is leaning up against. (It is an optical illusion, yeh, that's it.)



I made some more mods to the HF frame before I install the wooden floor. The cross members sat a little lower than the side rails, so I went to Lowes and got some pieces of aluminum that were the correct thickness and mounted them to the tops of the cross members. I bolted them down with SS bolts and lock washers along with blue lock tite. I will not be able to access them after I put the floor on so I don't want them coming loose.



I counter sunk the screws so they would not rub into the aluminum sheet I have on the bottom of the floor. I was thinking of adding PL adhesive to the tops to hold the floor down tightly to the frame. Do you have any ideas on this or should I just let it ride there, dry?



I fabricated a trailer hitch for the back of the trailer and installed it yesterday after work. I added some gussets to the next to the last cross member (gray paint), & frame side rails. I did this to stiffen up that cross member for the added stresses the items on the trailer hitch if I do carry anything on it. I have not decided if I will or not at this time. The main reason I did it was for added future resale value. You can see the aluminum strips I added to the cross members & the gussets better in this next pic.



Here is the finished trailer hitch installed on the HF frame. The black bracket above is a temporary license plate holder. I made it so I can move the trailer around as I work on it, to keep "Johnny Law" off me. Hey, I wonder if we are related? I will remove it before I install the floor. The license plate will go on the hatch of the TD later.





My next and I hope the final mod to the frame is to paint it silver. I have set aside today and tomorrow to replace the engine in my mother's car that my "Black Sheep" half-brother decided to blow up for us. Thanks, Bro !!! He doesn't have a job and has been "Remodeling" a house for a lady friend of my mom for five years now and I can't see any improvements to that house yet !!! He is living there in exchange for the work he is "not" doing. I could not live like that. I need to always be doing something. I need to see progress. Even if it is just a little bit of it.

Hopefully I can get the frame painted and the floor mounted soon. I will keep you updated as I can.

Thanks, ya all. LOL

Have a good week-end !!!

[synaps3]

I'm jealous of your tablesaw! I need to get me one of those

Your chassis is looking awesome. I wouldn't worry about the PL adhesive on the crossmembers -- a few bolts will keep the frame on there very tight.

[down under tech]

Hi Dave: Thanks, I haven't used it yet. I did upgrade it by adding a 80 tooth Diablo brand carbide blade to it. I have a base for an old table saw that was in my shed when I bought my place. The saw was a cheap junky one that the guy said worked good and that I could have it. It was fried and I got to dispose of it. Some deal ! I have to build some accessories for it like a cross cut sled.

The frame is ready to mount the floor on it after it is painted, if that day ever comes.
All the holes are drilled in the frame now and I am ready to mount it.

You are making good progress on your version #2 TD design. It is looking good.

What's up with the name of your TD??? It will need to be named before you finish it, you know, don't you?
See ya,